Heel cover and method of making the same



April 9, 1935. .1. c. SHAMBOW 1,997,317

HEEL COVER AND METHODOF MAKING THE SAME Filed NOV. 11, 1932 Patented Apr. 9, 1935 HEEL COVER PATENT, orgies AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME John G. Shambow, Boston, Mass, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Paterson, N. J., a corporation of NewJersey Application November 11, 1932, Serial No. 642,284

Y 16 Claims. r

This invention relates to improvements in heel covers and methods of making the same. Although not necessarily limited thereto the invention is herein exemplified with particular ref- 5 erence to covers for Louis heels.

Covers for wood heels are commonly made with their upper and lower edges curved to correspond to the curvatures of the developed curved edges of the attaching and top-lift-receiving faces, respectively,-of heels to which the covers are to be applied, and with straight lateral edges connecting thev curved upper and lower edges of the covers. In applying such a cover to a Louis heel, after the cover has been wrapped around the curved rear and side surfaces of the heel, the lateral end portions 'ofthe cover project beyond the lat eral breast edges at opposite sides of the heel to such an extent that most of the projecting cover portions have to be removed by hand trimming operations before the ends of the cover can be lapped over the heel breast. This hand trimming is expensive because of the amount of time and labor involved and because of the resulting waste of cover material. Usuallyit is necessary also to ship or slit the cover margins either during or after-this hand trimming operation to enable them to be laid smoothly upon the heel breast. Such hand trimming and snipping of the covers add still further to the expense of covering the heels. Moreover, in cutting a sheet of stock into covers of the customary shape above described there is a very substantial waste of cover material between the outlines of adjacent cuts, the percentage of such waste being frequently as high as 25% of the material used.

It is among the objects'of the present invention to reduce the amount of waste resulting from the cutting out of heel covers and the subsequent trimming of the covers, and'to save the expense of trimming and snipping operations upon heel covers.

With these'objects in view, a novel heel cover has been produced having such characteristics of lateral edge contour as to render unnecessary the usual trimming and snipping of those portions o'f'the cover which project forwardly beyond the heel breast a'fter the cover has been wrapped around the rear and sides of the heel and which,

from a sheetof stock the covers may be made,

furthermore, isso shaped thatin cutting covers characterized by having well defined wings extending laterally from its body portion for covering the opposite sides of the lips of Louis heels, and by being deeply notched or cut away below the wings in a manner to render unnecessary the 5 usual trimming and snipping of the marginal portions of the cover which are to be overlapped upon the breast of the heel. Moreover, in order to provide for the nesting of adjacent covers, each half of the upper edge and each half of the lower 10 edge of the illustrated cover is made symmetrical relatively to a point located midway between the ends of that half. In other words, the upper and lower edgesof the illustrated cover are so shaped that if a straight line be drawn from any 15 point in either half of either the upper or lower edge of the cover-through the middle point of that half and produced, both intersections of that line and the edge of; the cover will be located the same distance from'the middle point of the half. 20 The above-described symmetry of each half of, both the upper and lower edges of the cover enables the cuts defining the upper and lower edges of one cover to be utilized to define also the upper and lower edges respectively of two halves of two 25 other covers. The shape of the illustrated cover is further such that the cut defining the lateral edge of each wing of one cover may be utilized to define also the lateral edge of a wing 01 another cover.' The nesting of covers resulting from 30 such a method of cutting enables an entire sheet I of cover material to be cut up into covers without wasting anystock except a small amount along the edge of thesheet. V

In cutting out a plurality of covers shaped in a '35 manner to provide for the nesting or interfltting of adjacent covers a new method of makingcow ers: has been developed which,- in accordance with another aspect of the present invention; consists in subdividing a sheet of stock along a 40 curved line comprising successive segments or equal lengths and opposite curvatures, and along a broken line consisting of angularly related straight segments, the arrangement 'of said lines being such that the broken line and the curved 45 line will have segments projecting alternately towardand from each other, 'and further subdividingsa'id sheet along a plurality ofr'elativelyi short, substantially 'straightlines connecting said curved'a'nd broken linesjat portions which proiect toward eachotherf a The invention further consists other im provements in heel covers and methods of ma ing'the same hereinafter described and claimed, l

the advantages of which will be obvious to those.

skilled in theart from the following description.

The invention will be explained with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of a sheet, or a stack of sheets, of cover material illustrating the manner in which the cover-producing cuts are made so that the covers nest together or interfit to avoid waste of cover material;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a single heel cover embodying features of the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a Louis heel as it appears after a cover of the shape shown in Fig. 2 has been applied thereto but before the cover margins have been overlaid upon the attaching, top-lift-receiving and breast faces of the heel; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the heel as it appears at the completion of the covering operation.

The novel heel cover shown in the drawing is especially designed for use in covering Louis heels and to this end the cover has well-defined wings l0 extending laterally in opposite directions from its body portion for covering the forwardly projecting lip'which is formed at the upper breast portion of a Louis heel, and the cover also is deeply notched or cut away below the wings ID, as indicated at 12, for the double purpose of enabling a larger number of covers to be cut from a sheet of stock of a given size and for eliminating the necessity of trimming and snipping the lateral end portions of the cover after the cover has been applied to a heel. As shown,

each notch I2 is defined by angularly disposed straight edges l4 and i6 which, together with a straight edge [8, may be regarded as constituting the lower edge of the cover. The edge portions I4, as shown, are arranged in line with each other and are perpendicular to the heightwise center line 20 of the cover, while the edge portions [6 converge downwardly from the inner extremities of the edge portions l4 so as to form obtuse angles with the latter, The edge portion i8 connects the edge portions l6 and is disposed in the same obtuse angular relation thereto as are the edge portions l4, the edge portions l8 consequently being parallel to the edge portions l4. Thus the portion of the cover outline herein referred to as constituting the lower edge of the cover is in the form of a continuous broken line extending from the wing ID at one side to the wing III at the other side of the cover. The outer ends of the wings ID of the cover are defined by straight edges 22 which are parallel to the center line 20 and which'may be regarded as constituting the lateral edges of the cover. The upper edge 24 of the illustrated cover is convexly curved along its middle portion about a center located within the outline of the cover, and in the center line 20, so as to conform substantially. to the development of the edge curvature of the attaching face of a heel, while the opposite end portions of the upper edge 24 are concavely curved about centers located outside of the cover and in line with th edges 22.

In order that a plurality of heel covers may be.

out from a sheet of cover material in such a manner that adjacent covers produced bythe cuts shall interfit or nest together without waste between them, each half of both the upper and the lower edges of each cover is madesymmetrical about a point located midway between the ends of that half. Thus, in Fig. 2, the broken line abode, defining one-half of the lower edge of the cover, is symmetrical relatively to its middle point 0, and the broken line ejahi, defining the other half of the lower edge of the cover, is symmetrical relatively to its middle point (I. In a like manner the'curved line :ilcl, defining the lefthand half of the curved upper edge 24, is symmetrical relatively to its middle point k, while the curved line Zmn, defining the right-hand half of the upper edge 24, is symmetrical relatively to its middle point m. It will be seen that each half of the upper edge 24 is in the form of an ogee or reverse curve consisting of two segments which are of equal length and of equal radii but which are of opposite curvature. Thus the segments 17c and kl, constituting one half of the upper edge 24, and the segments Zm and mn, constituting the other half of the edge 24, are all of the same length and radius but the segments 77c and Im are oppositely curved with respect to the segments kl and mn, respectively. Considering now the lower edgeof the illustrated cover, each half of that edge consiststof two segments, and those segments are each composed of substantially straight edge portions of equal lengths relatively disposed to form oppositely presented obtuse angles. Thus in Fig. 2, the left-hand half of the lower edge 26 of the cover consists of two segments one of which is composed of the angularly disposed, substantially straight, edge portions ab and ha and the other of which is composed of the similarly disposzd, substantially straight, edge portions cd and de, the arrangement being such that an outwardly presented obtuse angle is formed by the edge section abc and an inwardly presented obtuse angle is formed by the edge section def. The right-hand half of the lower edge of the cover is identical in form with the left-hand half.

The opposite lateraledges 22 of the wings 10 are straight parallel lines connecting the upper and lower edges of the cover.

A heel cover outline such as that of the cover herein illustrated and described bears such a rc-- lation to the outline of the developed rear and side surfaces of a Louis heel (indicated by dotted lines at 28 in Fig. 2) that the cover is well adapted to cover the rear and side surfaces of the heel and to overlap the attaching and top-lift-receiving faces and the breast face of the heel without requiring any trimming of the cover either prior or subsequent to its application to the heel. As indicated in Figs. 2 and 3, the wings IQ of the cover are shaped to provide for proper covering of the opposite sides of the lip of a Louis heel (such as the lip 30 of the heel 32). The reentrant angular outline of the cover below the wings I0 is such as to approximate the contour of the lateral breast edges of the heel with sufficient closeness as to make it unnecessary to trim the cover margins which are to be overlapped upon the breast face. Furthermore, because of the deep notches 12 in each of these cover margins, the latter can be smoothly laid back against the heel breast, as shown in Fig. 4, without any preliminary snipping: or slitting such as that usually done by the operator, whoapplies the cover. to the heel, the notches. Ilifunctioning in much the same manner asaslits produced by shipping operations, to facilitatestretching of the cover, as they rial 'substantiallywith'out waste, a substantially greater number of covers can be cut from tion of adjacent cover-edges is clearly shown in Fig. 1 wherein a portion of a sheet 34 of cover material, for example celluloid, is shown as having been subdivided or out along a plurality of lines 36, 38 and 40 so as to form a series of covers 0, p, p, q, q, r and T. It will be seen that the covers nest together perfectly in such a manner as entirely to eliminate waste in the cutting of the covers except along the margins of the sheet of cover material, each edge portion of each cover, except those nearest to the edges of the sheet, being formed by cuts which also serve to form edge portions of an adjacent cover. It is also to be noted that because of the fact the edge portion I8 of the cover is straight it is practicable, without undue heightwise stretching of the cover, to employ covers of a given size to cover heels having a substantially greater variation in height than would be the case if the lower edge of the cover were in the form of a reentrant curve as in covers of the usual commercial form. This will be appreciated when it is understood that the maximum amount of stretching of a heel cover occurs in that portion which isapplied to the back of the heel and that by making the lower edge of the body portion of the cover straight instead of reentrant the distance between the top and bottom edgesof the cover, measured along the middle portion of the cover which is to be applied to the back of the heel, is increased relatively to the distances between the top and bottom edges in other portions of the cover and consequently there is less occasion for stretching the cover to make it fit the heel.

In cutting a sheet into covers the cuts forming the covers may be made progressively along the lines 36, 38 (Fig. l) or the cuts indicated by those lines may be made simultaneously throughout their lengths so as to produce strips or blanks which may later be cut into individual covers by severing the strips along the lines 40, or the cuts indicated by the lines 40 may be made at the same time the other cuts are made. A convenient and practical way of cutting out the covers is by the use of one or more dies having continuous cutting edges corresponding in shape to the shape of the covers. In using a single die for cutting a. plurality of covers the first cover may advantageously be cut from one corner portion of the sheet in such a location as that occupied, for example, by the cover 0, the extremity of one wing portion of the cover coinciding with one edge of the sheet and the middle of the upper edge of the cover being formed in the adjacent edge of the sheet. The next cover may then be cut from the sheet in the location occupied by the cover 0, the die being located for. the cutting of that cover with reference to the upper edge of the sheet and the right lateral edge of the first cover. After the cutting of a row of covers extending across the top of the sheet 34 has been completed the die may be turned 180 to position it for the cutting of a cover nesting with the covers 0 and o as indicated by the position of the cover 32, the exact location of that cover being determined by positioning the die with the portion of its cutting edge which is to form the broken lower edge of the cover coinciding with a corresponding portion of the previously cut edge of the sheet resulting from the cutting out of the first row of covers. The die may then be placed successively in positions for cutting the rest of a second row 01' covers. Thereafter, by again turning the die 180 and proceeding as in the cutting of the first row, a third row may be cut as indicated by the covers q, q and so on until the entire sheet has been cut up into covers, the placing of the die for each out being gaged with reference to a previously made out by positioning the corresponding portion of the cutting edge of the die in line with said cut. From the foregoing it will be seen that the outlines leftin the sheet 34 by the dieing out of previously formed covers function as guides in gaging the locations of succeeding cuts to provide for accurate nesting of the cuts so as to insure against waste of cover material.

In practice it may be found advantageous to cut an entire rowof covers simultaneously by means of a single die having an appropriately shaped cutting edge and thereafter by turning the die 180 to cut simultaneously a second row nesting with the first in the manner illustrated by the rows 0, o and p, go. It has been found practicable also to operate upon sheets arranged in stacked formation beneath a die or dies so as to increase the number of covers produced at each die cutting operation.

In applying the improved cover to a heel it is pulled over and pressed smoothly against the rear and sides of the heel in the customary manner, the heel having first been coated with cement, and the cover, if made of celluloid, having been softened or tempered as usual. The heel then appears as shown in Fig. 3, the marginal portions of the cover projecting beyond the attaching. and

top-lift-receiving faces and the breast face of the heel. the upper and lower extremities of the cover margins are turned inwardly and laid upon the attaching and top-lift-receiving faces, respectively, and the remaining projecting portions of the cover are laid against the lateral margins of the breast face, as shown in Fig. 4. Before laying the cover margins it may be desirable to trim the outer extremities of the wings flush with the front edge of the lip 30 of the heel and also to trim off the lower corners 42 to insure against overlapping or pleating of the cover margins upon the heel surfaces in the vicinity of the lower edge of the heel breast. Because of the novel shape of the improved cover, however, it will in no case be necessary to trim the portions which extend forwardly beyond the opposite lateral breast edges of the heel, although such trimming is universally required when covers of the customary shape are applied to Louis heels. Furthermore, on account of the notched formation of the cover mar.- gins indicated at l2, it will be unnecessary to per: form the customary snipping or slitting operations to prepare those portions of the cover margins which are located in the vicinity of the breast lip 30 to be laid smoothly upon the lower surface of the lip.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A heel cover having a lower edge comprising a series of angularly disposed substantially straight portions, each half of said edge comprising portions which are symmetrical relatively to the-middle point of that half.

2. A heel cover having a curved upper edge each Thereafter, the projecting margins at half of which comprises portions which are symmetrical relatively to the middle point of that half and a lower edge in the form of a broken line each half of which comprises portions which are symmetrical relatively to the middle point of that half.

3. A heel cover having two lateral wings for covering the opposite sides of the lip of a Louis heel, the upper edge of each wing and adjacent half of the body portion of the cover being formed by a line each half of which comprises portions which are symmetrical relatively to a point in the middle of that line and the lower edge of each wing and adjacent half of the body portion of the cover being formed by a line each half of which comprises portions which are symmetrical relatively to a point in the middle of that line.

4. A heel cover having two lateral wings for covering the opposite sides of the lip of a Louis heel, the upper edge of each wing and adjacent half of the body portion of the cover being defined by a curved line each half of which comprises portions which are symmetrical relatively to the middle point of said edge, and the lower edge of each wing and adjacent half of the body portion of the cover being definedby a broken line each half of which comprises portions which are symmetrical relatively to the middle point of said edge.

5. A heel cover having lateral wings extending in opposite directions from its body portion for covering the opposite sides of the lip of a Louis heel, the outer edges of said wings being straight and parallel to each other and the lower edges of said wings being straight and in line with each other, and the lower extremity of the body portion of the cover being bounded by a straight edge which is parallel to the alined edges of said wings.

site sides of the lip of the heel, the body portion of the cover having a straight lower edge and the lower portions of said wings being defined by straight edges extending parallel to the lower edge of said body portion.

7. A heel cover having its lateral marginal portions characterized by reentrant angular edge contours approximating the contours of the lateral edges of the breast of 2. Louis heel with sufficient closeness to eliminate the necessity of trimming said marginal portions.

8. A heel cover having its opposite lateral margins bounded by substantially straightedges relatively disposed to define reentrant angles the vertices of which are so located as to adapt said margins to be overlapped and smoothly laid upon the breast face of a Louis heel without being preliminarily snipped.

9. That improvement in methods of making heel covers which consists in subdividing a sheet of stock along a curved line comprising successive.

segments of equal lengths and opposite curvatures, and along a brokenline consisting of angularly related straight segments, the arrangement of said lines being such that the broken line and the curved line will have segments projecting alternately toward and from each other, and fur-.

short straight lines connecting said curved line and said broken line, the segments of said curved line and the segments of said broken line being relatively arranged to provide pairs of oppositely disposed line sections which project alternately toward and from each other and said relatively short lines being located at the points where said curved line and said broken line project toward each other.

11. That improvement in methods of making heel covers which consists in subdividing a sheet of heel cover material along a plurality of curved lines each consisting of successive segments of equal lengths and opposite curvatures, and along a plurality of broken lines alternating with said curved lines and each consisting of angularly related straight segments, the arrangement of said segments being such that each broken line and an adjacent curved line will have segments projecting alternately toward and from each other, and along a plurality of relatively short substantially straight lines connecting adjacent,

without waste, a plurality of strips each having one-wavy longitudinal edge and one longitudinal edge in the form of a broken line, said strips being adapted to be subdivided by transverse cuts to form individual heel covers having lateral wings for covering the sides of the lips of Louis heels.

13. That improvement in methods of making heel coverswhich consists incutting a sheet of heel. cover material along alternately disposed wavy and broken lines to form, substantially without waste, a plurality of strips each having one wavy longitudinal edge and one longitudinal edge in the form of a broken line, and cutting said strips transversely to form individual heel covers having lateral wings for covering the sides of the lips of Louis heels.

14. A heel cover having an upper edge the end portions of which are concave and the intermediate portion of which is convex, and having a lower edge comprising angularly disposed substantially straight portions, each'half of said edge comprising portions which are symmetrical relatively to the middle point of that half.

15. A heel cover having two lateral wings extending in opposite directions from its body portion'for covering the opposite sides of the lip of a Louis heel, said wings having outer edge portions which are straight and parallel to each other and lower edge portions which are straight and in line with each other, and the lower portion of the body of the cover having downwardly converging lateral edges anda lower edge which is parallel to the alined lower edges of said wings.

16. A heel cover having ,a body portion for covering the sides ofa. Louis heel rearwardly of its lip, and two lateral wings for covering the opposite sides of the lip of the heel, said wings having their outer edges straight and parallel and having straight lower edges extending at right angles to said parallel edges, and said body portion having a straight lower edge parallel to the straight lower edges of said wings.

JOHN C. SHAMBOW. 

